Change Can Be a Good Thing
by ananova
Summary: A peaceful day ends in disaster as Kagome sits Inuyasha one time too many. Can their friendship recover? Or have things gone too far? Rated for language.


Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's Note: And here is another one-shot I've been working on for a while. And again, I know it's been done before, but how many original ideas are really left out there in a fandom that is around 15 years old?

Now I've been working on this for a while because I don't really like how much Kagome seemed to overuse the rosary, especially in the anime. Don't get me wrong, I've used it in previous fics I've written but I've tried not to overuse it unless I was going for humor. There are arguments that it is part of their connection and I do partly agree with that. That doesn't mean that I don't get tired of seeing fics where she sits him for every little thing she doesn't agree with.

But as I said, this idea has been done before. After I started working on this I came across a fic called Roundabout Way by Wowzer313. I admit there are certain similarities and I probably drew quite a bit of inspiration from that work but I did try to make mine as different as I could so that I was not copying it. Actually, on rereading it I can see that mine is very different. I definitely recommend any of Wowzer313's works as she (I believe she's a she) is a great writer. As I said I did try to be as original as possible.

Also, I am using Osuwari as the command for the rosary. It is what Kagome says in the japanese version and it is a specific command for dogs. So if she says sit, that doesn't do anything to activate the rosary. Only if she says osuwari. I just use the word sit to describe what she does without actually having her sit him, like if she was threatening to sit him.

So please read and let me know what you think.

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><p>Inuyasha glanced back over his shoulder and his eyes immediately found Kagome as she worked to set up camp and clear a space for a fire, Shippou scampering near her feet. Miroku and Sango were no where to be seen but that was to be expected as they had gone to retrieve firewood, Kirara tagging along with her mistress. Satisfied that she was alright and there was no danger nearby, he turned his attention back to his task. Catching enough fish for the group for dinner. He stood knee deep in the stream, unmoving and extremely focused on his task. Movement near his foot drew his attention, his eyes narrowed, then his hand shot out, capturing a medium sized fish. He quickly tossed his catch to shore and turned his attention back to the water, searching for more fish.<p>

A sudden weight landed on his head, causing him to stumble and frighten the fish away. Inuyasha felt his irritation rise. "What do you want, brat?"

The kitsune leaned over from his perch on Inuyasha's head to peer into the water. "Doesn't look like you're doing such a great job" he teased.

Inuyasha glared. "Get lost." When Shippou didn't move he rolled his eyes and went back to his task. He stilled his body, focusing on the water once more. A fish darted by and he prepared to snatch it.

"There goes one!" Shippou's voice cut through the air, distracting him and his claws missed. The fish once more scattered away. "Baka! How could you miss? It was right there!"

Inuyasha growled in annoyance and tried to ignore the brat. But Shippou kept up his dialogue. "There goes another one!" "You really are stupid!" "What use are you if you can't even catch a fish?"

Finally, Inuyasha had enough. He grabbed the kitsune by his tail and tossed him back to shore with a loudly growled "Get lost and leave me alone!" Peace restored he went back to his task now that the kitsune was no longer around to disturb him.

Shippou glared at the hanyou from where he had landed. Then a mischievous smirk settled over his face before he wiped it off as he scampered to the only other person present. "Kagome!" he started in the whiniest voice he could manage. "Inuyasha's being mean to me!"

Kagome sighed, shaking her head in aggravation. Was it too much to ask for one peaceful evening? She had heard Inuyasha yell and then Shippou's whining. Without turning to look she said "Osuwari." Really, couldn't Inuyasha act like an adult for once?

A loud splash followed and Kagome finally turned her head to look toward the stream. She felt her blood freeze in her veins.

In the meantime, Inuyasha had ventured a bit further into the stream. He hoped he'd be able to catch bigger fish in the deeper section, as well as discourage the brat from returning. He frowned as he noticed that just in front of him the water was much darker, indicating that there was a steep drop off and the stream would be much deeper. The water was already up to his thighs, so he resolved not to go any further.

He rolled his eyes when he heard the brat whining, then his eyes widened in realization. He started to turn around, opening his mouth to call out to Kagome. Then he heard her say **that** word and found himself being dragged below the water by the glowing beads around his neck. His lower body hit the stream bed where he had been standing, hard, while his upper body was pulled into the drop off he had noticed moments earlier and his breath was driven out of him by the force of his landing.

He immediately began to struggle, trying to raise himself up but his arms found no purchase. His chest began to burn as his lungs cried out for oxygen and he found himself reflexively inhaling water. Still the beads did not release their grip. Suddenly he felt arms wrap around him, trying to pull him up out of the water.

Kagome panicked. She could see no sign of Inuyasha, other than the bubbles rapidly rising to the surface of the stream. She ignored Shippou who was sitting on the ground laughing, running to the stream as fast as she could and diving in. She quickly made it where Inuyasha must have been pulled underwater and dove down, arms searching for him. They made contact and she quickly wrapped her arms around his body, trying to pull him out of the water. She could feel something pulling him in the opposite direction and inwardly cursed herself for using the beads. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, she felt the pressure ease and heaved Inuyasha up.

Inuyasha rose to the surface as the beads finally released him. Breaking the surface with a huge splash, he immediately began coughing and gasping for air. He ignored the hands that worriedly patted his back and the voice that questioned "Inuyasha? Are you alright?"

As soon as he was able to, he shoved the worried girl away from him, afraid of what he might do in his anger. He settled for pinning her with the angriest glare he could while looking like a drowned dog. "What...cough... the fuck...cough... is your...cough... problem...cough... Bitch?" he roared at her, or it would have been a roar if he wasn't still gasping for breath, his body racked by harsh coughs.

His words automatically had her own temper rising, despite her still apparent worry, and she glared back at him. She opened her mouth to speak, yell at him for being a jerk but he cut her off.

"What, you gonna...cough... sit me again? Finish what you...cough... started?" He paused as another coughing fit racked his body.

Kagome flinched back at his words, her face flushing with guilt and shame. Anger forgotten, she bit her lip. "I'm sorry Inuyasha. It was an accident" she began but was cut off again.

"_Accident?"_ Inuyasha roared at her despite his coughing, fury filling every line of his face and body. "How do you _'accidentally'_ slam...cough... someone's face into the ground? Especially...cough... when they're in the middle of a stream?"

Kagome winced. "You're right, I wasn't thinking. I shouldn't have done it while you were standing in the water."

He gave her an incredulous look before the fury filled his face once more as he glared at her. "That's all you have to say? That you shouldn't...cough... have said **'it'** while I was in the water?" His face darkened further. "You shouldn't have...cough... said **'it'** at all!" he snarled at her.

Despite knowing that he had every right to be angry, Kagome couldn't help the anger that began to rise up in her at his words. She had apologized, what more did he want? "You were picking on Shippou" she pointed out, trying to justify her actions.

"What the fuck? That gives you the...cough... right to nearly kill me?" He watched as she flinched at his words. "I didn't do nothing to that brat! I was catching dinner...cough... when he came over and started bothering **me**! I didn't hear you say anything to him about his actions." He stomped his way out of the stream.

Kagome followed. "Shippou's just a little kid, he was probably just interested in seeing you catch the fish. You're always picking on him-"

Inuyasha cut her off again. "That fucking brat comes over and annoys the...cough... crap outta me. He won't leave me alone, and when I try to do something...cough... about it he goes whining to you and you sit me!"

"He's just a child."

"He's a fucking youkai and...cough... he knows exactly what he's doing. He does it on purpose because he knows you always take his side."

Unnoticed to the two arguing, Sango and Miroku had returned and were standing at the edge of the clearing, watching the argument in shocked silence. They had witnessed the two fighting before, but never this badly.

Suddenly Shippou leaped onto Inuyasha's head and began pulling at and biting his ears. "Leave Kagome alone you big meanie! You can't talk to her like that!"

"Ow, fuck!" Inuyasha exclaimed as he snatched the kitsune off of his head and threw him to the ground.

Shippou immediately began to cry big, thick tears. Kagome lifted him to her chest. "Inuyasha" she exclaimed as she sought to comfort the child. "O-"

"Go ahead" Inuyasha sneered, cutting her off. "Sit me again. Would you prefer I got in the stream first?"

Kagome's mouth shut as she stared at him in shock.

"What, cat got your tongue? Not gonna sit me this time?" He paused to cough again, his chest was burning. "Why not? You do it for everything else" he pointed out.

"I-I do n-not" she attempted to say.

"You fucking do so. You don't like my language, you sit me. I say something you don't like, you sit me. You want to go home, you sit me. Get the picture?" He glared at her as she mutely shook her head, trying to deny his words, tears in her eyes. He glared again at the sight of them. "Forget this. Catch your own damn dinner." With that he leaped off into the trees leaving a shocked silence in his wake.

Kagome slowly sank to her knees as the tears finally began to stream down her face. She bowed her head, allowing her hair to create a black curtain, shielding her from the rest of the world. The others finally broke free from their paralysis and Sango hurried to the distraught girl's side. "Kagome-chan?" she called softly, not wanting to startle her. But she remained unresponsive. Sango exchanged a look with an equally confused Miroku who had followed her. Just what had they missed? What could have led to the argument they just witnessed?

Sango reached out to lay her hand on Kagome's shoulder. That touch proved to be catalyst needed as Kagome collapsed against Sango's side, sobbing. Sango merely held her, offering her soothing words and trying to calm her down. She vowed that Inuyasha was going to pay for hurting her friend like this, but she couldn't help the little voice that pointed out that he might not be the one to blame as the words he had said flashed through her mind. She pushed those thoughts aside and focused on calming her friend down, knowing that nothing could be done to fix things until they got some answers.

Finally Kagome began to calm down. She pulled away from Sango, wiping at her face. She seemed unable to meet anybody's gaze.

Sango exchanged another look with Miroku. "Kagome-chan?" Sango began hesitantly. "What happened?"

Kagome continued to stare at the ground, uncertain of what to say. However, before she could say anything Shippou spoke up from where he had been fuming and blaming a certain hanyou in silence. But when Kagome didn't speak up he felt it was his duty to enlighten the others.

"That jerk Inuyasha was being mean. Then Kagome sat him." A wide grin split his face as he remembered the event. "You should have seen it, it was so funny. The look on his face as he went under the water." Then he scowled. "But then he was mean and yelled at Kagome." He turned to face the shocked girl who was staring at him in horror at his words and uncaring attitude. "You should have sat him again."

"Shippou-chan!" she exclaimed as she finally found her voice.

He gave her a confused look, tilting his head to the side. "What? He deserved it. Besides, it's funny to watch him get sat."

Kagome felt her stomach lurch and swallowed hard, trying to force the bile down. 'Could Inuyasha have been right?' she wondered. 'Do I really sit him when he doesn't deserve it?' Even as she asked herself that, a tiny voice in her mind whispered to her: _"But who deserves to have their face slammed into the ground?"_ She felt tears forming again and brushed at her eyes, trying to hold them back. "I'm a horrible person" she whispered.

Miroku and Sango exchanged looks but Shippou spoke before either of them could. "No you're not. Inuyasha's just being a jerk again. You should sit him when he comes back. That'll teach him." He couldn't understand why his words only seemed to make Kagome feel worse.

"That's enough Shippou" Sango spoke up as she saw the pain on Kagome's face. "Go play with Kirara."

Shippou wanted to argue but complied when he saw the stern looks on the faces of the monk and taijiya. With one last mutter of "Stupid Inuyasha" he did as he was told.

Once he was out of immediate hearing range the other two turned back to the distraught girl. "Don't worry Kagome-chan. I'm sure Inuyasha will be back as soon as his temper cools. You know how he is."

But Kagome shook her head, denying her words. "He was so mad. And he had every right to be. I could have killed him."

Miroku tried next. "I'm sure he knows it was an accident Kagome-sama."

Kagome flinched at his words, Inuyasha's voice echoing in her mind. _"How the fuck do you accidentally slam someone's face into the ground?"_

Sango saw the look on her face. "Here Kagome-chan" she said, "let's get you into some dry clothing." She grabbed Kagome a change of clothes and ushered her into the trees, standing guard against Miroku. "There, I'm sure you feel much better now that you dry." She sighed at the dismal look the girl still wore and gestured at her sleeping bag. "Get some rest. Things will look better in the morning."

Numbly the girl complied and climbed into her sleeping bag. She closed her eyes and the argument repeated over and over again in her mind. Trying to distract herself from her memories, she couldn't help but overhear the others' hushed conversation.

"I'm afraid Kagome-sama may have gone to far this time" came Miroku's deep voice followed by a weary sigh.

"What?" Sango gasped.

"You know as well as I that Inuyasha doesn't always deserve those sits. But they are both too stubborn and set in their ways. They refuse to talk things out. I know that it has been bothering Inuyasha for a while now the way that Kagome-sama is always so quick to use those beads."

Sango was quick to defend her friend. "But Inuyasha can be such a jerk. And he is so stubborn that sometimes the only way to get his attention is for Kagome-chan to sit him. Besides, it's not like it actually hurts him."

Miroku shook his head sadly. "Have you ever had your face slammed into the ground? How do you know that it doesn't hurt? Just because Inuyasha is a hanyou and heals faster than us doesn't mean that he doesn't feel any pain. I think we forget that sometimes."

In her sleeping bag Kagome felt her heart clench painfully at his words. She had never considered that she might be causing Inuyasha pain.

With a sigh Miroku continued, unaware that she was listening and his words were like a dagger to her heart. "Don't get me wrong, I believe that there are times that the only way to get through to our stubborn hanyou friend is for Kagome-sama to sit him. But" he raised a hand to halt Sango from saying anything, "sometimes Kagome-sama takes it too far. She has become far too used to using the rosary to get her way. She has become careless in it's use, as evident by today's events."

Each word was like a dagger to her heart, driving it deeper and twisting it to get the point across. 'Do I really use it that much?' she wondered, tears streaming silently down her face.

After a few more minutes of silence Miroku spoke again. "And I fear that we are partially to blame for this mess as well."

"What do you mean, houshi-sama?"

"Instead of speaking of my concerns to Kagome-sama about how often she was using the rosary, we all, including me, made light of it and encouraged her." He sighed again, guiltily this time. "Even knowing that Shippou was purposefully trying to get Inuyasha in trouble so that Kagome-sama would sit him, we held our silence. Worse, we laughed, finding amusement at the expense and suffering of our friend." He sighed yet again, staring into the fire in silence.

A few moments passed then Sango spoke. "You're right. I don't know how he'll be able to forgive us."

Kagome's breath hitched as she heard that. 'If they think that he can't forgive them when they didn't do anything to him, then what chance do _I_ have of earning his forgiveness?'

"We can only apologize and hope that he accepts." Unseen, his hand crept stealthily behind the taijiya, reaching out to caress her rear.

Slap! "Pervert!" Sango glared at him as she moved away from the lecherous monk.

Miroku placed his hand against the red hand-print on his face. "It's a curse!"

Kagome ignored the rest of their argument as she sank deeper into her thoughts. 'I don't really abuse the rosary, do I?'

Unbidden, images of every time she had sat him appeared in her mind. She mentally winced at each remembered impact with the ground. 'But he deserved it, didn't he?'

His words echoed in her mind once more. _"You shouldn't have said __**'it'**__ at all!"_ That was quickly followed by the little voice in the back of her mind asking again '_Who deserves to have their face slammed into the ground?'_

Long after the others had gone to bed Kagome remained awake, visions of the past repeating over and over in her mind. She found no rest that night as she stared unseeing at the branch above her head. The 'empty' branch that would normally be occupied by her red-clad hanyou protector.

Finally, shortly before dawn, she stumbled out of her sleeping bag and into the forest. She made it a fair distance from the camp and settled down against a tree, finally allowing her tears to fall as gentle sobs rocked her body. A harsh cough interrupted her and head shot up to see Inuyasha in the tree above her. In the pre-dawn light she could see that he was asleep but not peacefully, his body racked by harsh coughs.

"Inuyasha" she murmured quietly but he didn't stir. Worried when another harsh cough escapes him, she grabbed onto one of the lower branches and began to climb. It was difficult and she fell several times, scraping her hands and legs, but she refused to give up. A short while later she had nearly reached him.

Kagome finally managed to haul herself onto a branch at the same height and just across from Inuyasha. She reached out a hand to feel his forehead, only to gasp when his hand suddenly snatched her wrist. His eyes snapped open and fixed right on hers. Startled by his sudden movement and the intense look in his golden eyes, Kagome stumbled and began to fall out of the tree. But before she can even open her mouth to scream, strong arms wrap around her, pulling her back into the tree.

She opened her eyes, unaware of when she closed them, to see him glaring at her, his face only inches from hers. "What the fuck were you thinking?" he demanded, then leaned back as another cough escaped him.

Kagome frowned and ignored his question, reaching a hand out to feel his forehead and sighing in relief when she doesn't feel any sign of a fever. She flinched as his hand suddenly appeared, smacking hers away. He glared again. She bit her lip and looked down at her hands, unable to meet his gaze any longer. "I was worried" she said as she fidgeted, wanting to see his expression but afraid to face him.

Inuyasha's glare deepened and he opened his mouth to snap at her when her appearance finally sunk in. He stared and couldn't help but feel bad as he saw just how pale she looked, with dark circles standing out beneath her red-rimmed eyes. He could easily smell the salt of her tears and tell that she got little if any sleep. He also saw the bruises and scrapes she had obviously received trying to climb the tree.

"Keh. I'm fine wench. I'm not a weak human like you." He smirked only to ruin it by coughing.

Kagome felt her worry increase. "Are you sure you're alright?" He couldn't have gotten sick, could he? In all the time she'd known him he'd never had so much as a cold! Realization struck. "You must have inhaled some of the water. I'm sure I have something back at camp that will help your discomfort but I'm afraid it's going to take a few days for the water to leave your lungs." She felt her guilt rise yet again as she spoke.

Beyond irritated by what he perceived to be a weakness, he took his frustration out on her, snapping "What do you care anyway? It's your fault!" She flinched back at his harsh words and he winced, immediately feeling bad and regretting saying them. "Kagome-" he started, voice soft but she she interrupted him.

"No, you're right. It is my fault. I'm a horrible person." Tears sprang to her eyes but she refused to let them fall. "I'm a monster."

Inuyasha began to panic as the scent of her tears reached him but her words sunk in before he could say anything, causing him more confusion. "Oi, don't cry." He tried to make sense of her words but couldn't. "You're no monster. If anyone's a monster, it's me" he muttered as he looked at his claws.

"No, you're a good person. I mean, sure you can be rude and ill-tempered but you're not bad" she defended him against himself. "But me, I'm horrible. Look at the way I treated you. Slamming your face into the ground, repeatedly. And for no other reason then I was angry. That's no way to treat someone you care about." Her tears finally began to fall as she was no longer able to hold them at bay.

Inuyasha hurried to assure her, not liking what she was saying. "Feh, not like it hurt or nothing. Besides" he gave her a half-smirk as he tried to catch her eyes, "I probably deserved a lot of them."

Kagome shook her head angrily at his words. "No!" she vehemently disagreed. "Who deserves to have their face slammed into the ground?" She finally lifted her face to meet his gaze.

Inuyasha was taken aback by the raw emotion present there. He could see that she was really torn up over this.

"You're my best friend" she started. "I care about you more than anyone. You protect me, keep me safe, and this how I repay you?" She shook her head, eyes never leaving his. A look of determination settled on her face. "No more" she stated firmly, resolutely. "It's time for things to change."

Inuyasha could only stare at her, stunned by her words and the look on her face. What did she mean change? In his experience change was never good. Change was when his mother died, leaving him all alone. Change was when Kikyou sealed him to the tree. Change was waking up to find he had been asleep for fifty years and Kaede, the little girl he had known, was an old woman. Change was finding out that the woman he had cared deeply for was dead. In his opinion change was not a good thing. When Kagome suddenly reached for him, he jerked back in surprise, unsure of her actions. "W-what are you doing?"

Kagome continued to meet his gaze steadily. "Something I should have done a long time ago." Her hands shot out, quickly grasping the kotadama rosary. She began to lift it over his head.

Inuyasha could only stare at her in shock. "Why?" was all he could manage once the beads were completely removed.

She gave him a small, timid smile. "Because I shouldn't try to control someone I care for. I can't say that I trust you and then try to control your actions, punishing you when you do something I don't like." She lowered her gaze. "I've been abusing the rosary, I see that now, saying **'it'** whenever I've been angry, whether it was your fault or not, instead of talking about what was bothering me. I let the power go to my head. I'm sorry. And I'm especially sorry that it took something like yesterday for me to realize that."

A clawed hand gently gripped her chin, lifting her face to meet his gaze. Inuyasha stared deeply into her eyes for several long moments before reaching out and dragging her against his chest in a strong embrace. "I care about you too" he admitted as he buried his face in her hair. "I'm s-sorry too. I should have said something sooner."

Kagome shook her head. "I doubt I would have listened. You've always complained about the rosary and I've always ignored you. I'm sorry" she said again as she wrapped her own arms around him, returning his embrace.

"Keh. That's our problem. We don't listen to each other." He sighed, admitting that he was just as much at fault as she. He conceded that fact by bringing up the main point he never listened to her on. "I do realize how important your 'skool' is even if I don't want to admit it. If you say you have to go back I'll try not too argue too much."

Kagome leaned back from his embrace just enough to peer at his face. "Can we promise to talk things over instead of yelling about them or ignoring one another from now on? Or at least try to?" she asked.

"Feh, I'm willing to try if you are. But" he said in warning "I can't promise that I'm gonna talk about my feelings. That's not me and you know it."

Kagome resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Okay" she agreed. "But, if something important comes up or something is really bothering you, please don't brush me off like nothing's wrong. I worry about you and that's not going to change."

"Keh!" He sighed. "Fine. If something's really bothering me, I'll try to tell you. Happy?"

"Ecstatic" she mumbled then sighed as well. "Come on, we should get back to camp before the others worry."

Inuyasha grumbled a bit, not really wanting to let her go but finally leaped out of the tree and set her down. He gazed at her a bit forlornly once she was no longer in his arms.

Kagome immediately missed his warmth. "Come on" she said, reaching out and grabbing his hand. Together they set off back to camp.

All too soon they had reached the clearing. They reluctantly released one another's hands, not wanting to draw attention to that. The others were in the process of preparing breakfast and Shippou was the first to notice their return. He immediately glared at Inuyasha.

"Finally came back baka? I hope Kagome sat you good!"

"That's enough Shippou-chan!" Kagome's words startled the kitsune into silence. He stared at her in shock. "Apologize."

"W-what?"

"You heard me. That is no way to talk to Inuyasha. Apologize. Now."

Shippou stared at her a moment longer, taking in the determined look on her face. He turned to Inuyasha and petulantly muttered "Sorry."

Satisfied for the moment but resolving to have a long talk with the boy, Kagome moved off to her bag and began rummaging inside of it.

Shippou watched her for a moment to be sure she wasn't paying any attention, then he moved closer to Inuyasha and glared at him. "What did you do to Kagome?"

"Feh, I don't know what you're talking about brat." Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest but inside he was pleased by Kagome's defense of him. Maybe things really would change for the better.

"You know exactly what I mean, baka! Kagome never yells at me. You had to have done something to her." He scowled. "You better not have hurt her" he warned.

Inuyasha scowled down at the kitsune, enraged by his accusation. "I would never" he growled out, hands clenching into fists as he resisted the urge to hit the little brat.

"Liar, you always hurt Kagome. Why'd you even come back? You're just a stupid idiot, we don't need you. You're too stupid to even realize the difference between a live girl and a dead one. Baka." Shippou taunted him. He was going to get even, just wait. Any second he would blow his top then Kagome would sit him and things would go back to normal.

Inuyasha saw red. "You little brat!" He snarled at him, hands reaching out to snatch the brat who took off running. He had gone too far this time!

But Shippou dodged him, having anticipated the hanyou's reaction. "Kagome!" he yelled in his whiniest voice as he made a beeline for the startled miko, an angry hanyou hot on his tail. "Inuyasha's being mean to me!" He leaped behind her, hiding behind her back and peered around her in anticipation as Inuyasha came to a halt in front of the girl. This was gonna be so good. He gave a startled yell as Kagome turned and snatched him from his hiding place, setting him down in between her and Inuyasha.

Kagome looked from the seething hanyou to the confused kitsune. "Alright, what is going on?" She was not going to jump to conclusions, not after yesterday. Once glance halted Inuyasha in his tracks. She waited for someone to speak up and explain.

Shippou's jaw dropped. Why wasn't she sitting him? He gulped as he glanced at the fuming Inuyasha. Time to kick things up a notch. "I don't know" he wailed turning on the waterworks. "I asked him a question then he got mad and threatened to hurt me. You gotta save me Kagome!" He tried to move behind her again but she wouldn't let him.

Kagome frowned at the kitsune. Something didn't seem right. While she knew Inuyasha had a temper, after their talk she thought things would go different. And she remembered Miroku's words the previous night. She didn't want to believe them but he had sounded so sure of Shippou trying to trick her. She needed answers before she would act. She turned to Inuyasha to ask him what was going on when Miroku interrupted.

"That is enough Shippou. Why don't you tell the truth?" All eyes turned to face the usually calm monk who was now glaring at the kitsune. "As soon as Kagome-sama walked away, you began insulting Inuyasha. That last comment of yours was especially uncalled for."

"W-what are you talking about Miroku? I didn't say anything." What was going on? Why were they all taking Inuyasha's side. He turned pleading eyes on Kagome. "Kagome please, you've got to sit him! I don't know how but he's tricking you all."

Kagome fixed the kitsune with a stern glare. Why was he being so insistent that she sit Inuyasha? He was in any immediate danger from the hanyou. She couldn't help but wonder what Miroku had overheard. She had a feeling that she wasn't going to like it. "Shippou, enough. Miroku-sama what did you hear?"

But it was Sango who spoke up, fixing a glare of her own on Shippou. "He called Inuyasha names, accused him of causing you harm, told him he shouldn't have come back." With each statement Kagome felt her anger increase. Then Sango took a deep breath. "And then he said that Inuyasha was unable to tell the difference between a live girl and a dead one."

Kagome immediately stiffened. Shippou truly had gone too far. Kikyou was a sensitive subject for both of them. She chanced a glance at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha was still seething over the kitsune's words but he also was stunned as his friends came to his defense. He couldn't understand, they were taking his side? Why? He knew that they had overheard Shippou's taunts in the past but they had never spoken up before. Why now?

Apparently Shippou felt the same. "Why are you all taking his side?" he whined.

They ignored him. Miroku turned to Inuyasha and bowed his head. "I humbly ask your forgiveness my friend. For too long I have observed Shippou's tricks as he worked to get you in trouble and said nothing, worse I found amusement in your suffering. I can only hope to make it up to you somehow."

Sango approached next. "I am also to blame. I too never spoke up when I should have and I am sorry."

Inuyasha could only stare at them, shocked yet deeply touched by their words. "Keh." He gave them a firm nod to let them know he accepted their apologies.

Shippou stared in horror at the adults surrounding him. "No! Stop, this is all wrong! You're not supposed to take his side!" He turned to Kagome. "Kagome! Sit him! Make things go back to the way they were!"

Kagome frowned at him. "Shippou, stop that at once. I'm very angry at you, you've been deliberately trying to get me to sit Inuyasha for your own amusement. That's not what the beads were for."

Shippou ignored her, continuing his temper tantrum. "Yes they were! You always sat him when I wanted you to!"

"Shippou, that is enough. I don't know what has gotten into you but I think I've been spoiling you too much. You are not getting any more candy until you've shown you can behave and think about the consequences of your actions. Especially not until you've shown proper remorse."

"No! You can't do that! It's mine!" He threw himself to the ground, kicking and screaming about it not being fair.

Kagome exchanged a worried look with Sango, unsure of how to proceed.

"Keh" Inuyasha snorted in disgust. "This is what happens when you don't discipline a pup." He walked over and gave Shippou one solid thump to the head.

"Inuyasha!"

But he ignored Kagome's exclamation, reaching down and grabbing a now quiet Shippou by the scruff of the neck. He held him and gave him a firm shake. Shippou struggled for a moment then went limp in submission. Satisfied with the response Inuyasha told him "Don't do it again" and released him. Then he turned to face the others.

They stared at him in shock. "What?" Kagome asked as she saw how quickly Shippou calmed at his actions. Sango and Miroku were just as stunned.

Inuyasha snorted. "I told you, he's a youkai. You've gotta show him who's boss or he won't learn." They continued to stare at him. "Feh, he's not a human child, if you don't treat him like a youkai he's not gonna learn and he's gonna keep pulling the same stuff over and over. You never listened when I tried to tell you that."

Kagome slowly shook her shock off. All of those times she had punished Inuyasha, believing he was being too harsh, he had really been trying to correct Shippou's bad behavior. How much harm had she done, punishing Inuyasha undeservedly and allowing Shippou to believe he could do whatever he wanted? "I'm sorry Inuyasha. I'm sorry for doubting you. Again, something I never listened to you about."

"Feh, now you know. So don't worry about it."

Kagome gave him a smile before turning to face Shippou and giving him a stern look. "Things are going to be different from now on Shippou-chan. I meant what I said about the treats. Not until you've shown me that you deserve them. And no more trying to get me to osuwari Inuyasha."

The others were nodding along to her comments. Suddenly her last sentence sunk in and they turned startled eyes on the still standing Inuyasha. Shippou's eyes especially went wide at that.

Kagome nodded. "That's right, I removed the rosary. From now on we're going to talk things out instead of me subduing Inuyasha to get my own way."

Miroku smiled at her from his place beside Sango. "I'm glad to see that you are both mature enough to learn from your experiences. It shows a remarkable wisdom on both of your parts."

Slap! Sango turned and glared at him. "I wish that you would learn from your experiences and stop touching my ass!" She turned and stomped away, Miroku following and blaming it on his cursed hand.

Kagome leaned against Inuyasha, smiling when he wrapped an arm around her. "They'll never change" she murmured.

"Feh" he glanced at her, amusement dancing in golden eyes. "Maybe someday but not today."

"There's been enough change for one day" Kagome agreed.

"Yeah, but all good." They exchanged another glance and smile before turning to claim their own breakfast. 'Perhaps' he thought with a faint smile, 'change wasn't so bad after all. Change can be good' he finally decided as he gazed with wonder at the girl heating up water for some ramen. Things weren't perfect but it was a start. A good start.

* * *

><p>So let me know what you think. I know I was a bit mean to Shippou but he gets on my nerves sometimes. I swear there are scenes in canon where it seems he's purposefully trying to get Kagome to sit Inuyasha. He also gets in the way sometimes, part of why I didn't have him join them in Difference. Which I am still working on by the way. I know it's been a long time since I updated that story but I haven't fallen off the face of the earth as you can see. I have been posting other works that I hope you enjoy in the meantime while I try to overcome my block on Difference. There is this one scene that is holding me back. I would leave it out but I think it's important to the future of the story. The characters just don't want to cooperate.<p>

As for continuing this, I originally meant for it to be a one-shot. However, I have since had ideas of how I could continue it. So for the moment it is marked as complete, but I may add another chapter or two at a later date.


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